To achieve peak operating performance and efficiency of a gas turbine engine, it is advantageous to detect, in real time, the gaseous content present in the emissions of a gas turbine engine. For instance, detection of nitrogen oxide and/or the carbon dioxide concentrations present in exhaust emissions of a gas turbine is beneficial so as to tune/adjust the gas turbine engine towards peak performance. However, current technology for measuring exhaust emissions in a gas turbine engine is unable to provide real time measurements and is also often too large to be positioned in the confines of the exhaust flow path of a gas turbine engine.
The harsh environment of the exhaust flow path has proven to be a deterrent for the introduction of any such measuring device principally due to the extreme operating temperatures present in the exhaust chamber. Clearly, there is a need in the art for a measurement system and sensor that provides real time measurement and detection for the exhaust emissions of a gas turbine engine that can withstand the harsh environment of the exhaust flow path in a gas turbine engine.